Intel Extends Effort On Brain-Machine Interface

Posted on 3:19 AM by Jitesh

Thought controlled technology or brain'machine interface is the direct communication between a brain and an external device. The technology can assist, or repair human cognitive or sensory-motor functions. However, the technology is accompanied with serious objections about privacy violations and other possible abuses, various organizations are exploring its commercial potential.

Intel Corp, the world's largest chipmaker has also joined the technological quest to allow people to operate computers, television sets and cell phones solely with their thoughts.

Intel joins the bandwagon

According to the Chipzilla, if developers could decipher the brain activity and patterns, then it can be possible to access the global information network simply by using thoughts, and it will open enormous new opportunities for computing technology.

Scientists have examined the brain's electrical activity and flow of blood when people think about certain words and actions, and have identified patterns that PCs can be programmed to read. It would provide new possibility to a number of fascinating applications.

Recent Efforts

Recently, it has been demonstrated that persons suffering from severe ailments like paralysis have changed TV stations, turn on lights and write on a computer through brain-reading gadgets.

Similarly, Emotiv Systems of San Francisco has designed a headset, which can allow users to control video games by their thoughts rather by any joystick. Further, Honda had shown a robot whose arm can be mentally controlled by a person last year.

In the 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver, InteraXon's Bright Ideas has demonstrated and also allowed people to switch on/off the lights at major Landmarks in Ontario using thought alone. It is one of the largest thought-controlled computing installations ever created.

Microsoft's Project Natal

Nintendo, Japan based video game company has been offering its users to direct game action by waving the controller around through its Wii-mote since last year. For example, for a bowling action, gamer have to swing the Wii-mote in a bowling motion. On the similar path, Microsoft is working on Project Natal, its controller-free gaming and entertainment experience on the Xbox 360 video game platform.

The Project Natal comes with a sensor, which is about 9-inch wide horizontal bar and allows 3D motion sensing, facial and sound recognition of the players. The sensor features an RGB camera, depth sensor, microphone and required software.

The new application will work as an add-on for the Xbox 360 console and will allow users to manage or play games, movies or anything with their hands alone and without touching any hardware. It is different from what Intel is trying to do, but the concept is similar.